Filmmaking Camps Produce Fun Short Films Through Teamwork

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Matt Geske

Our two-week Filmmaking Summer Workshops (Middle School July 8-19, High School July 22-Aug 2) give students an exciting opportunity to develop their creative expression and technical knowledge of film production, one of the most competitive and top-grossing industries today.

Mason Professors Lisa Thrasher and Lucy Gebre-Egziabher from Mason Film & Video Studies lead the workshops, along with student assistants from the university program. Located on the Mason Fairfax campus in Fairfax, VA (in the Washington, DC Metro area), the camps takes place in the university classrooms and computer labs in the Art & Design Building. The final film debuts usually take place in Mason’s movie theater.

Students are thoughtfully separated into small groups for the duration of the program in order to learn teamwork and collaboration. Fun communal creative exercises are employed for icebreakers and for bonding. The workshop is designed to stimulate kids intellectually, creatively, and socially through teamwork.

“This year’s program will focus on quality story telling and creative visual interpretation of the scripts,” said Ms. Thrasher.

“In addition to learning about the filmmaking process and taking part in an actual film production, students will also get to watch short films and critique them, cultivating their film analysis skills,” explained Ms. Gebre-Egziabher.

The Filmmaking Workshops are a great way for kids and teens to develop their filmmaking talent, teamwork, story-telling, visual expression, and technical skills – qualities sought, needed, and used by not only the entertainment industry, but also by every company in America – all of whom use audio/visual works to promote their products/services and communicate with their customers!

“I am always so impressed by the students’ knowledge, commitment to the process, and the films themselves!” stated Ms. Thrasher.

“This program does more than teach kids how to make films,” emphasized Ms. Gebre-Egziabher, “It helps them work with a team of their peers, it gives them an opportunity to bond socially with other kids, and it gives them the chance to see the fruits of their labor at the end – the film they make together! I often witness the shyest kids at the beginning of the program become the liveliest by the end.”

A selection of film scripts from the Screenwriting Workshop, June 24-28, are voted on to be used in the Filmmaking camps. Sign up to help write the scripts too!